1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a kit for cable conduits in a piece of workstation furniture, having several different profiled sections which can be put together and on or in which connecting elements are formed on an inside and/or an outside.
2. Description of Related Art
Such a kit is known from German Patent Reference DE 196 10 347 C1. The connecting elements formed on the inside are strips or grooves and are used for fastening cables and built-in devices. Connection and counter-connection elements of complicated design are formed on free longitudinal edges of the profiled sections for connecting the profiled sections with the cable conduit. The plugged-together cable conduits are primarily used as horizontal conduits, with front ends that can be connected with vertical columns of the furniture frame, and have only a comparatively small receiving space.
It is one object of this invention to provide a kit of the type mentioned above but with cable conduits that can be rapidly and simply put together with profiled sections having simple connecting elements, which can be attached to vertical columns of a furniture frame.
In accordance with this invention, this object is achieved with a kit that comprises three different profiled sections:
a) profiled sections for connection with the columns, essentially having a U-shaped cross section, wherein the base leg is formed on the outside of the column receptacle, connecting grooves are formed in outsides of the lateral legs and the inside of the base leg has a fastening groove formed thereon;
b) profiled sections on the back wall, essentially having a U-shaped cross section, wherein the inside of the base leg has a fastening groove formed thereon, and connecting grooves are formed in outsides of the lateral leg; and
c) profiled connecting sections of essentially meander-shaped cross section for connecting a profiled section for connection with a column with a profiled section on the back wall, wherein receiving grooves are alternatingly formed on the inside and the outside, and the longitudinal edges transition into connecting shoulders which can be inserted into the connecting grooves of the profiled sections for connection with the column and the profiled sections on the back wall.
With the profiled element for connection with the column an attachment of the cable conduit on the column over a large surface and extending over an entire length of the cable conduit is achieved with the receiver in the column. The profiled sections on the back wall and the profiled connecting sections, which have connecting grooves, can be easily connected with each other. Fastening and attachment possibilities for built-in devices, contact strips and the like are provided on the insides and/or outsides of the assembled cable conduit with the fastening grooves and receiving grooves of the profiled sections. Also, the attachment of horizontal cable conduits to the vertical cable conduit connected with a column is simplified. A closed cable conduit can be assembled from four profiled sections, which meets all requirements for its employment in a piece of work station furniture.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, connecting grooves in the lateral legs of the profiled sections for connection with the column and with the profiled sections on the back wall have T-shaped cross sections, and those on the insides of the profiled sections which are for connection with the columns and of the profiled sections on the back wall, as well as at least a portion of the receiving grooves of the profiled connecting sections, have T-shaped cross sections.
If the connecting shoulders of the profiled connecting sections have bores and can be screwed together with the connecting grooves of the profiled sections for connection with the columns and with the profiled sections on the back wall by means of screws, the profiled sections meeting each other can be screwed together in a simple manner, and the installation of devices in the cable conduit is simplified.
Further fastening possibilities are created because locking strips with a row of slits can be pushed into the connecting grooves of the profiled sections for connection with the columns and with the profiled sections on the back wall and therein can be securely maintained. Suspension hooks, which have been inserted into the front of receiving grooves of profiled sections extending vertically with respect to them, can be suspended in the slits. In an inner corner area open screw channels are formed in the area of the connecting grooves of the of the profiled sections for connection with the columns and with the profiled sections on the back wall.
In place of a second profiled connecting section for the cable conduit the lateral legs of the profiled sections for connection with the columns and of the profiled sections on the back wall terminate in connecting receiver grooves, which terminate flush with the outsides of the lateral legs. A flexible cover is inserted into the facing receiver grooves at the ends of the lateral legs of the profiled sections for connection with the columns and of the profiled sections on the back wall and therein are maintained.
An interlocking reception of the column in the column receiver of the profiled section for connection with the columns is achieved because the profiled sections for connection with the columns have hollow chambered strips formed on the outside in the end areas of the base leg, which border the column receiver. The facing lateral walls of these hollow chambered strips continuously expand the column receiver toward the exterior and have facing holding strips. An easy attachment possibility for the cable conduits is provided with the holding strips because holding slides, which are held by the holding strips and can be suspended by means of hooked strips in slits of the facing lateral walls of the column, can be inserted into the column receivers. It is possible to utilize a plurality of holding strips in the longitudinal direction. In this regard, in one embodiment, the holding slides can be fixed in place by means of arresting screws in the column receiver, so that they cannot be displaced. The holding strips of the holding slides fixed in place are thus arranged in the same way as the distribution of the slits in the column and positioned so that the cable conduit suspended in the column is held at several places along its longitudinal extension.